Hyderabad, March 9, 2025: In response to last year’s shocking NEET paper leak controversy in Jharkhand, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that it will only use government colleges as examination centres for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2025, scheduled to be held on May 4. The decision comes after the infamous leak of the NEET question paper from a private institution, Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
The NTA is taking stringent measures this year to prevent such incidents, with officials in various districts actively scouting new locations for exam centres. The exam will not be held in any institutions that were used last year, in a bid to further reduce any chance of malpractice or fraud.
Nalgonda district’s collector, Ila Tripathi, along with other officials, recently visited Mahatma Gandhi University in the region to inspect the premises for possible use as a NEET exam centre. “As the government has instructed to set up NEET centres only in government establishments, we have visited the varsity to inspect the premises,” said Tripathi, highlighting the renewed focus on securing the examination environment.
The NEET 2025 will be conducted in over 552 cities across India, as well as 14 international locations. Telangana alone will have exam centres in more than 20 cities. With nearly 24 lakh students expected to appear for the examination, the NTA is committed to ensuring the integrity of the testing process, following last year’s scandal that saw the arrest of the principal and vice-principal of the Oasis School involved in the leak.
The leak rocked the academic world, and the NTA has been under increased scrutiny to ensure the fairness of entrance examinations for aspiring medical students. As part of the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, this year’s changes are seen as an important step toward restoring faith in the examination process.
Students across the nation are gearing up for the May 4 exam, hoping for a fair and transparent process, while the NTA remains focused on safeguarding the integrity of the NEET-UG for the future.
